First Steps
by Lady Winter J
Summary: Darkwing/Drake's life takes a drastic turn when something very bizzare happens to Gosalyn. Maybe this is how it would have been if....


First Steps -by Jenny Hallberg  
All Characters (c) Disney, & used without permission.  
  
It had been a long, criminal-thwarting night, and Darkwing and Launchpad were just getting back to the tower. The thunder quack landed harshly in its spot and as the top flung up, Darkwing and Launchpad hopped easily out. Darkwing checked his watch and noticed it was nearly sunrise. He just remembered that he had to go back to the house and get Gosalyn ready for school soon. Traveling to another place besides the tower after a night of patrol still needed some adapting to.   
"Boy, that sure was something tonight! I didn't expect patrol to take that long." Launchpad said as they walked over to the chairs. He was practically out of breath from all that running around.   
"Yep, yep. Be prepared for many more nights like these." Darkwing said proudly. "I just wish we could be recognized for something big - I mean, big. None of this shop-lifting, vandalism stuff." Darkwing sighed, as he went off into a sector of the large room to change back to civilian clothes.   
"Eh, well..." Launchpad shrugged. He wasn't in the mood for super criminals. "Maybe one day DW, don't go over your head now."   
"Heh, yeah, but it would be great, wouldn't it? Can't you imagine it? Front page, our pictures, fame." Darkwing visualized it as they took their seats in the blue chairs. Launchpad just sighed. Darkwing sat for a moment thinking about it all, then slammed his hand on the badger head. They spun in a blur, back to Avian Way.   
  
  
The chairs stopped, and Darkwing and Launchpad stood up warily. "I'm pooped. 'Night." Launchpad said.  
"Yeah, 'night." Darkwing replied, in the same tired tone. Darkwing then remembered for the second time, about Gosalyn. School. Gosalyn. School. He decided not to go to bed yet, since he would have to bring her to school in no time. He turned the little green light on his wristwatch, and squinted at the displayed time, 6:40 AM. It was amazing how the time went by so fast. He sat over on the sofa for a while, deciding to let Gosalyn sleep in a little more.   
  
Meanwhile, Gosalyn waited in her room. She was awake all right. She didn't know where Darkwing was, and she certainly didn't feel like going to school. It was too different, too new. Plus, she was feeling tired. But she knew she would have to get used to it, Drake would make her. She sat on the side of her bed, looking around the room. She gazed at the untouched items laying around on shelves and the walls that looked blue, reflecting off the streetlights. Assorted ornaments, picture frames, and sports equipment. For split seconds, she thought she wasn't herself, that she was in someone else's place. She broke out of her trances, 'I might as well go downstairs,' she thought. She crept to the door, and quietly opened it. She peeked out, and then stepped out, tip-toeing down the stairs. When she reached the last step, Drake noticed her in the corner of his eye. "Hey, you're up." He said.  
Gosalyn was startled, and jerked into his direction. "Yeah, I couldn't sleep just now." She said quietly.  
"Oh? Why not?"  
She hesitated, then said, "I kept wondering where you are." Drake stood up from the sofa.  
"Ah Gosalyn, you don't have to worry about that." He said with a smile. He walked up to her, she was still standing on the last step of the stairway. He ruffled her hair playfully. She tried to duck out of the way.   
"But I do! I want to know what you're up to out there, having all that fun!" She said with a little pout.  
"Well, it's not all fun, and I don't think you would like to be out all night, Gosalyn...Hungry?" he said before she could reply.   
"Yeah!" she piped up, and followed him into the kitchen, and sat down at the table. "So where's Launch?"   
"He went straight to bed...guess he's really tired." Drake said as he searched through the cupboards. "So what do you wanna eat?"  
"Hmmm...pancakes!" She chirped.  
"Pancakes! Ok, if there is any mix around here I'll fix 'em up for you."  
"Yeah!" She said excitedly. It felt so much better getting to choose what to eat for breakfast than eating the same thing like at the orphanage. Gosalyn was still having a transition from switching homes.   
After several minutes of digging through the kitchen, Drake finally found the pancake mix stowed away in the back of the fridge. "Ah-ha!" he said. He measured the mix, and began to make the pancakes.  
Gosalyn sat at the table, thinking. "Darkwing?"  
"Yeah?"  
"I'm glad I'm here, with you." She said softly. Darkwing paused for a little.  
"Me too, Gos."  
"I'm wondering if...we can do something later after school, you know. Hang out?" she asked.  
"Umm...well...right after school, I might have a case to work on, and if not I have to patrol." He said. Gosalyn's face sunk.  
"Oh, ok, that's fine." She said solemnly.  
"I'm real sorry Gos, but maybe later we can."  
"Yeah, I understand." She said again. Darkwing didn't know what else to say. It was the truth. He imagined how much easier it would be explaining it to a five-year-old. But Gosalyn wasn't five, she was nine. In child terms, even one year is a long way ahead. He kept on flipping the cakes.   
"Uh, how many do you feel like eating?" he changed the subject.  
"Umm, five!" she said.  
"Five? Well, OK." He said, and continued to make some more mix, and pour out evenly circled spreads of goo on the pan. He loved what he was doing. Talking to Gosalyn, while standing in a kitchen, happily making pancakes for her to wolf down. 'Well, it's better than warming tons of milk,' he thought in a gaze.   
  
On the way to school, Gosalyn seemed very quiet to Drake. She sat staring at the glove box. He looked over at her. "Hey, you OK? What's on your mind?" he asked, but trying not to act too interesting.  
"Oh, nothing, just...wondering if I'm forgetting something for one of my classes." She lied.   
"Really. I hope you're not forgetting anything!" he said   
"Well, don't forget to pick me up on time after school." She changed the subject as Drake pulled the car up in front of the school, in the parking lot. Gosalyn pulled her bag to her side, and opened the car door. Drake was about to kiss her good-bye for the few hours she was leaving, but he decided to hold it.   
"Good-bye, hon. Have fun at school." Drake said.  
"Yeah, sure." She muttered, then more loudly she just said, "OK, bye." She shut   
the door, and walked towards the front doors of the school. Drake kept an eye on her as she walked up the steps, and through the doors. He sat in the car for a few minutes. He yawned before putting the car into drive, and went back to the house.   
  
  
It had been about 6 hours later. The Mallard house was silent, except the sound of the clock ticking on the wall, and Drake's snoring. Chirping birds can be heard through the screen on the window, and the sound of a car occasionally passing by wouldn't even bother Drake. He was sound asleep on the sofa in the living room, completely unaware of the time; h  
is chin buried in his chest, and his arm dangling off the edge of the cushion. Launchpad was still asleep in his room. Drake rolled over onto his other side and dreamed on, mumbling every so often.  
  
A ten-minute drive away, Gosalyn was waiting outside her elementary school. She wondered if he would ever come, and it slightly saddened her. She slumped down on the brick planter, and stared at the floor beneath her feet, and gave out a sigh.   
"He forgot." She said aloud. Nobody was around for several yards to hear her talking to herself. She didn't feel like walking home, because she wasn't sure how to get back there. She looked over at the large clock hanging over the school doors, and she could see that he was half an hour late so far. "He's not coming." She said again. 'Why am I even here? I know he doesn't care about me that much.' She worried. With a child who has been put down so many times in her life before, she wasn't going to give anything, or anybody another chance to put her down again. Not even Drake, or Darkwing, or whoever. But she wanted him to come to her, for some reason, she needed him, but didn't realize it.  
After pacing back and forth for a few minutes, she got the nerve to start walking, in the direction she came there from. She would walk that direction for a few feet, then change her mind and go back to her waiting spot, but then started to walk back home again. Hopefully, she thought, she would make it home. Dragging her feet down the sidewalk, she scuffled on her way home.  
  
  
Drake rolled over once more on the sofa, and squinted his eyes open as the sun came through the window, casting a spot on his face. He slowly sat up, all the way shielding his eyes, then stretching. "Boy I must have dozed off!" He said clumsily to himself. He shook his head around slightly, and stretched some more. "-Ahh," he finished yawning. "Mmm, what time is it..." he glanced at his wristwatch, and saw it was already 3:30 PM. He gasped, his eyes widened, and he suddenly became awake. "Gos!" He let out in a breath. "Ah, no..." he panicked slightly, and stumbled to get up on his feet, and search for the car keys. "Damn, where did I put those things!" he muttered as he dug through the couch cushions and items around the coffee table. Papers, cups, and files were shuffled around, until finally a dangling noise shattered the rest of the common noises, and the car keys dropped to the floor. "Ah-ha! There they are..." He quickly picked them up and rushed to the door.   
When Drake flung the door open, he was about to start sprinting out to the car when he nearly tumbled over a short duckling already standing in the way, about to reach for the high doorknob.   
"Gosalyn! There you are!" He exclaimed. He kneeled down and grasped her shoulders. "I'm so sorry I didn't come get you!" He tried to win her forgiveness. She looked up at him with tired eyes. It just about crushed him, in a frightful way.  
"Forget it, just -  
"Are you OK? You sure?" he pried.  
"Yeah, yeah," she said, then coughed to her side. Drake began to stand up, but still kept his eyes on her.  
"Well, I'm glad you're OK, I won't forget like that again, I promise." He patted her on the back, and they walked into the house. 'Well, now maybe if she were five it would be harder to handle this,' drake thought. When they entered the house, Gosalyn started for the stairs. Before she could reach the fourth step, Drake said "Gos?"  
"Yeah Darkwing?"   
He really wanted to talk to her, see how she's feeling. He still felt pretty bad for not picking her up on time, and causing her to walk home by herself. "How was school today?"   
She looked at him, still resting her hand on the railway that was inches above her head. "It was OK, I guess. What can I say?" She said with a shrug at the end.  
"That sounds good," he said, but was thinking that it probably wasn't so good, "But what happened? Anything interesting?" He asked once more, focusing his eyes on her little face.  
She looked up as if thinking, then said, "Well, we're not starting gym yet until next week."   
"Oh? That's too bad." He said. Gosalyn looked around up the stairway.  
"Where's Launchpad?" she asked.  
"Still sleeping."  
"Oh, ok." They both paused. A floundering scene. She was a little surprised he was still sleeping. "Um, I'm going to go look through some homework I have to do." She said. She felt she had to get out of that stairway.   
"Alright. Well come down for dinner, ok?"   
"Ok." She agreed, and quickly pattered to her room before taking a glance at Drake. He stood in the same spot, watching her drag her backpack up the stairs and through her door. He took a long sigh before going to the kitchen to start dinner.   
Drake sat at the kitchen table, and thought about what to make for dinner. His mind wondered to Gosalyn. He wondered what direction this relationship with her was traveling. It scared him to think about it, but it was happening before his eyes, even though it has been barely a couple days. It was almost too much to handle. He wondered if she really wanted to stay with him. He loved her and for her to live with him, forever, but he wondered if she wanted the same thing. Drake had knew though, that she wanted to live with him. However, he knew she was being cautious with him because of her past, which was still hurting her. 'Just take it easy, Drake,' he thought in his head. Take it easy. Go slow. Although, he wondered just then how she was really feeling, sitting in her room as he was sitting at the table.   
He decided not to make dinner. He flipped the pages through the phone book looking for a pizza place around the town. He called a nearby pizza joint, and just ordered two large pizzas, each with half-half toppings. He wasn't sure what Gosalyn likes. Disturbing her in her room wasn't an option he wanted to go for at that moment.   
After he hung up the phone, he heard someone making their way down the stairs. He was hoping it was Gosalyn. Then Launchpad soon walked into the kitchen. "Hey, what's up?" He asked while rubbing one eye, and sat at the table.   
"Oh, just ordered some pizza. I don't know what to make for dinner." Drake answered.  
"Mmm," he licked his lips. They both sat there quietly, both tired. "So uh where's Gos at?"   
"She's in her room." Drake said, thinking. "I don't know. She's still adjusting to this new environment. I don't even know what happened to her before the orphanage! I wish I knew. I don't want to get too nosey with her though."  
"Yeah, sounds like a good idea. Just, take it slow, I guess." Launchpad offered.  
"Yeah." He paused. "Well, just wait for the pizza to get here, I'm getting hungry."  
"Ok, yeah me too."   
Drake stood up, and went into the living room to sit at the sofa. He turned on the TV and flipped through the channels, waiting for the pizza.   
  
  
Gosalyn was in her room, sitting on the bed. She wondered too, about Drake, and what he might be doing downstairs. The weirdness and the feeling of her room, and the house, was starting to immerse. A feeling of loneliness crept into her, and she sat more tighter on the bed. "What are you thinking Gosalyn?" she thought to herself. "It's just a house, it's just a room, and it's just Darkwing downstairs!" Gosalyn's young mind drifted into deeper thought.  
"Yeah, Darkwing is down there. What's he thinking? He's a cool guy to hang out with and all, but there's another feeling, thing, that's weird about it." Gosalyn could sense that there was a nurturing she needed, but she did not realize it. As she was growing up with such a delicate mind, she didn't need anything that could ruin it. Spending time with him was needed to nourish her mind and health; but then again she was almost afraid of it, since it was an exiled experience from long ago.  
A muffled voice distracted her from her thoughts, and she jumped from her spot. Drake was calling her name. She opened the door, and called, "Uh-huh?"   
"Gos, dinner's ready, we got pizza!" he called up again from the foot of the stairs.  
"Cool beans!" She called back. It was almost as if she never engaged her brain in that deep, deep conversation detoured by pizza. She came sprinting down the stairs, and flew into the kitchen.   
"Whoa! Slow down there." Drake said, gesturing with his hands.  
"What kind did you get?" she asked as she grabbed a plate. Launchpad was already starting without a plate.  
"Well, I got several parts of it, I don't know what your favorite is..." said Drake. Gosalyn looked through the different toppings.  
"That's Ok. Pizza is pizza." She said satisfied and started eating. A few minutes of silence passed. "How come you didn't just ask me what I wanted?" she said through a mouth of bread and cheese.  
"I didn't want to bother you." He said, trying not to sound too much into it.  
"Oh. But it would've been Ok...Oh well." She ended, and continued eating. Launchpad was through his fifth piece by then. Both Drake and Gosalyn gave him surprising looks, but they silently knew that they would have to get used to his appetite.   
After they were done eating, Gosalyn cleaned her plate off, and went into the living room to watch some TV. Launchpad looked at Drake.  
"I'm going to head up to the Tower. I think the TQ needs a tune-up by now."  
"Alright, later." Drake responded. He sat in the kitchen until he heard the chairs spin. He got up himself, and walked over into the living room, hearing the garbled TV that was on. Gosalyn was sitting on the sofa watching cartoons. Drake went in, and sat next to her, and watched the TV for an instant.  
"Hey kiddo," he said.  
"Hi." She replied, still gluing her eyes to the screen. The only light now in the house was the television screen glowing off their faces.   
"What'cha watching?" he asked, attempting to start conversation. He looked at her face, deep in thought.  
"I don't know what it is, just found it." She said about the cartoons bouncing around on the screen. "Did you get any cool cases to work on?" she said excitedly. Inwardly, it made him jump. He's been trying to connect with her for quite a while.   
"Umm, no, not yet." He breathed in deep, and let it out. "I haven't heard from SHUSH in a few days, but hopefully they'll contact me soon." He looked at her for a response, but she continued to watch the TV, looking slightly down. "Why are you so interested anyway?" he asked, but regretted asking, since he already knew the answer.  
"Because, they're so cool!" She bounced up, taking her eyes off the TV and looking at him.  
"Well they're nothing for you to worry about, little miss!" he insisted.  
"Aw, C'mon Darkwing!" She knew he could read her mind.  
"C'mon what? I know what you're thinking, and you know what I'm going to say." He stated. She let out a groan. "It's too dangerous for children! I don't want you getting hurt, if you did I would be responsible! And I would feel really bad."  
"But I wont get hurt!" she pleaded.  
"Gos, no, and besides, I don't even have a case right now." He said, and started to get up. This was a conversation he didn't want to bother getting, since he didn't like concealing things from her. But this was too dangerous.   
"But -   
"No buts'! Gosalyn, my job isn't for kids, honey!" he started pleading with her.  
"Ahh, fine." She gave up. But it wouldn't be the last time.   
"Ok, good. I'm going to be heading for the Tower soon," he said looking at his watch. "Right now, you're going to bed." He gently pressed his hand on her back, signaling her to stand up. He turned off the TV with the remote. She stood up and started her way to the stairs, Drake followed behind to go with her to her room.  
In her room, Gosalyn was sitting on her bed, taking her shoes off with difficulty. Drake noticed, and kneeled in front of her to help pull them off, and shuffle them to the side. Gosalyn lay back in the mattress, and pressed her head into the pillow, which was five times bigger than her body, and pulled the sheets up by herself. Drake stood by and waited, still a newcomer in the field of parenting, he had no clue what moves to make with her, and wouldn't know for who knows. He'd catch on though, some day. After she snuggled in and lay still, Drake felt he was ready to get going. Launchpad would be waiting for him by now. He patted her on the head. "Goodnight, Gos. If you need anything, the communicator is nearby." He said quietly.  
"Mm-hmm..." she nodded. With that, he walked smoothly out the door. Gosalyn lay awake in bed still after he left. After a few hours she was still wide awake, wondering what Darkwing was doing. She wondered if he would come back, or if he would disappear like everyone else did in her past. It made her shudder. Finally after what seemed for forever, she fell asleep for a short time.   
... 'I'm sitting on my bed. Where am I? I took a sharp breath, and realized I'm at the orphanage. What am I doing here, I don't want to be here! No! I guess I'll just wait here, and see what happens. It's really cold. Whoa. This place looks the same, but where is everyone? Aw man, I wish Darkwing were here, where is he?   
Something's in the window. Uhhh! Is that...Taurus?! No! It can't! I'm trying to call out for help! "Help, Darkwing! Darkwing!" nothing. He's coming in! No! Stop! I'm yelling, but nothing is coming out! I can't hear my voice. The window shatters, and he's stepping in, there's smoke behind him, and nobody can hear anything! Where is Darkwing when I need him! I don't want to die now, not here in this orphanage. I try to move, but my limbs are numb, numb! No use, it's too slow. I just have to sit here and die! Taurus is coming closer. Closer. Closer! Oh please no, don't get your hands near me! No! Don't hurt me! No...'  
  
Gosalyn suddenly woke up violently, dripping with sweat, shivering, and breathing hard. Hyperventilation was coming on strong. Her heart thumped wildly, and she looked around in the dark to make sure she still wasn't in that awfully mundane orphanage room. Her head spun quickly in both directions to search for a window, which was still in one piece. Her room looked unfamiliar for a few seconds, but then it all came back to her where she really was. She swung her legs all around without notice, and blindly searched around for the light. Her room didn't have a nightlight, and the dim streetlights barely lit her room due to fog. She breathed in deep and let it out, her breath slowly came back to her. She could almost feel Taurus watching her, and she shivered more. "Darkwing..." she trembled. She sat quiet for a few minutes until she was breathing normally. "You're so stupid, Gosalyn." She whispered. "Quit acting up!" She decided to get up, completely forgetting about the Darkwing Communicator, and went downstairs.   
She wondered into the dark living room, and just stood there, staring at the blue chairs. An idea struck her, of going to the tower to wait for him to come home. 'I can't wait any longer in this house!" she thought. She sat in one of the chairs, and spun to the Tower.   
When she arrived, she looked around the Tower, and quickly noticed Darkwing sitting at a large panel of buttons and keys, madly typing away as a large screen above him constantly scrolled with names and numbers and such. Launchpad was standing next to him watching the screen with interest. They didn't even hear her come in. She mesmerized at it as well for a moment then realized she had to hide, and sneaked over to the side. 'Whew! That was close!' she thought. 'Why hasn't he gone out yet? I wonder...' Then, Darkwing spoke. Gosalyn listened in.  
"Launchpad, this is great! We've got a case to work on, real big-time!" Darkwing said, rubbing his palms together slyly.   
"Right on!" Launchpad agreed. "So uh, what about?"  
"Well," he said reading a scroll of paper, "Negaduck! Here it is! It's about him!" Darkwing said enthusiastically, and started scanning the paper. "...SHUSH says, that there exists a Fountain of Youth in a remote island, that only SHUSH, and apparently Negaduck, knows about. Hmm...They say Negaduck plans to use it for...immortality! Wow, jeez! And we have to get to it first before he does, and destroy it!" Darkwing finished. Hiding nearby, Gosalyn heard the whole thing, and grinned with excitement. She was not aware of the problems she may create for herself, and Darkwing, if she ruined something with this case. She definitely wanted to go along with Darkwing on that case.   
"Aw, why do we have to destroy it? Can't we keep it, DW?" Launchpad whined.  
"No, LP! We can't, this thing is critical! It's much too hazardous to mess with!" Darkwing exclaimed, shaking the paper in the air. It was hard to tell whether he was mad, excited, or nervous; probably all three.  
"Well, Ok. How are we suppose to destroy it?" Launchpad asked skeptically.  
"Hmm...Good question!" Darkwing scratched his head. He re-reads the papers in search for the answer. "Ah-ha! Here it is..." he scrolled his finger down the lines and sentences. "It says to delude it by dumping salt water in it, and more of it than there is of the youth water itself. SHUSH has been trying to keep this place a secret for years, but now that someone else has discovered it, it has to be destroyed! It can't be moved, sad to say." Darkwing explained it all. Launchpad nodded his head. Out of nowhere, the machine started to spit out another paper. Darkwing quickly grabbed it before it could hit the floor, and examined it. It was a map. "Well here's how we're getting there." And handed it over to Launchpad, who also examined it the best he could.  
"Ohm." He said as he looked at it closely. "Gotch'ya." He handed it back to Darkwing.  
"Oh no," he pushed it back, "You keep it with you, you're the one who's gonna fly us there!" he said.  
"...OH. Right-O." They stood there thinking about the case and about Negaduck for a while. A crash of noise came and brought them to their senses. Darkwing immediately looked toward the direction the loud noise came from, and drew his gas gun, pointing it ahead of him, and took slow steps forward in the same direction.  
"Who's there! Come out and identify yourself!" he called. He quickly drew the gun down when he saw a tiny Gosalyn walk out from her cover. "Gosalyn!" he made haste over to her. "Why are you awake? What are you doing here, don't do that again!" He said as he kneeled in front of her. He looked into her face longer waiting for her to respond. "Well, what's wrong?"  
"I just couldn't sleep." She said simply. He had no idea what she was going through in the night. "Sorry."  
"Oh it's Ok this time, but next time don't come sneaking in here, especially when you have school in the morning!" He worried. He began to think more, and said "...Uh, Gos, when did you get here?" he asked.  
"Um...just a minute ago is all. Why?" She said.  
"Just wondering." He smiled shortly, and stood up with his hand on her shoulder. She kept looking up at him. "Let's go get you back to bed, eh?" he yawned. She decided to give in and shrug her shoulders. "C'mon." He led her to the chairs, and with her sitting in his lap and Launchpad in the other chair, they went home. Darkwing decided to call it a night. He would start working on the case first thing the next night.   
When they had reached the house, Darkwing led Gosalyn up the stairs, she was walking offside as she drifted in and out of sleep, so he picked her up and brought her to her bed, and set her in. She was already fast asleep, breathing calmly in and out. He pulled the blanket over her, and watched her for a minute. His hands were cold, and noticed how chilly the air was getting. He looked at Gosalyn, and got her another blanket to layer on top. While she was asleep, he decided she wouldn't notice, and gave her peck on the cheek goodnight. "Good night, Gosalyn." He said softly. He wasn't sure how comfortable she was of him around her so much, so he took all his actions with her with great caution and care. Maybe one day she would kiss him back. Darkwing filled with affection when he thought of it being that way. With a smile, he left the room, and went to his own room.   
After the sound of the door snapping in place, Gosalyn unsheathed her eyes. She snuggled under the thick, warm blankets. She felt much safer than before, and whispered "Good nigh, Dad" before she drifted to sleep. Who knew when the day would be that she would say that louder.   
  
  
The next morning, Gosalyn woke up. She yawned softly and went out into the hall. 'Where's Darkwing? How come he didn't wake me up?' She wondered. She went to his room, and carefully turned the doorknob, and peered inside. Drake was fast asleep, snoring on his side. Gosalyn let out a breath, and walked all the way in, standing net to the bedside. She tapped him lightly on the shoulder as if he would jump up any second. She waited as he stirred around a little, and opened his eyes.  
"Hey Gos, good morning!" he said with morning voice. "Sorry I didn't wake you up in time." He started to get up and headed into the bathroom.  
"Oh it's fine, I think I needed to sleep in a little anyway." She said.  
"Do you want anything to eat?"  
"I'll just make some cereal." She said on her way out.  
He looked at her as if she weren't sure what she wanted. "That's Ok? Well I'll be down in a few minutes, I'll drive you over to school."  
"Ok," she said as she left the room.  
  
Drake dropped Gosalyn off in front of the school. Other children were gathering towards the front doors, crowding into the building. As Gosalyn stepped out of the car, she said, "Don't forget to pick me up this time." She looked at him with a worried expression.  
"I won't forget!" Drake said reassuringly. He was just learning, after all. "I'm sorry about yesterday." She shrugged. Before she could close the door, he said "Bye Gos."   
"Bye," she smiled half-heartedly.   
  
It was later that same day, and Drake did pick Gosalyn up on time. However, the whole day he has been so absorbed in his big-hit case from SHUSH, that he hasn't been offering the affection and great brace to Gosalyn that she needed. Although neither of them were aware of this happening, it had its affects.   
Gosalyn spent much of her time bored in her room, with nothing to do. Darkwing was doing extensive work and research in the tower while she sulked in her room. Many difficult hours past by, and Gosalyn was starting to feel more and more depressed by the minute. She hunched over on her bed, thinking of what to do to get her mind off Darkwing.   
The sun settled for the night, and darkness inked her room. She was felt hungry, but forgot about it, losing her appetite because of her gloomy mood. 'I have to get out of here!' she thought. She left her room, and went down the stairs near the chairs and stared at them.  
She sat in one of the chairs, and waited for something to happen. But she pushed the badger's head and spun to the Tower.   
  
The chairs ceased spinning in the Tower, and Gosalyn was sitting there. She quickly hopped off, and ducked into her usual cover space. She could hear Darkwing nearby, talking to Launchpad.   
"Ok LP, we gotta get going soon! I don't know how long this will take. But we can't be gone long. I don't want to leave Gosalyn home alone for long." He explained to him.   
In veil, Gosalyn quietly muttered to herself, "Sure you don't." She would always look at the down sides of things.   
"Ok LP, first let's do a double-check, and we'll be right on our way!" he said.  
"Sure!" he answered back, and they trotted off in another direction. When Gosalyn heard them leave, she quietly snuck out from her spot.   
'I wonder where they're going...sounds more exciting than staying at home!' thought Gosalyn. She eyed the Thunder Quack, and checked around to make sure Darkwing wasn't in sight, and quietly hid under the back seat of the plane.   
She waited patiently, covered by the seat. "Let's go, LP," she can hear Darkwing say, and they approached the TQ. She peeked from underneath, but ducked back when she saw them step in. She tried best not to breathe too loud, or make any movements.   
Finally, the TQ started its engine, and they took flight out of St. Canard within minutes, soaring high above the pollution of the city and the clouds. Darkwing was thinking all along that Gosalyn was home in bed. The ride to the island where the fountain was located was relatively quiet. Gosalyn was hoping Darkwing wouldn't have some reason to go in the back of the TQ to get something. She just waited.  
"How much longer 'til we get there?" Darkwing asked Launchpad.  
"Umm..." he looked at the map, and looked at the graph on the control panel. "Half an hour or so."  
"Great! I can't wait to catch Negaduck in the act." He said with a hint of excitement. They sat there quietly for a few minutes, listening to the sound of the plane's smooth engine.   
"So uh, how's Gosalyn doing?" Launchpad asked curiously. Gosalyn's ears perked up when she heard her name mentioned.  
"Hmm? I don't know. She seems really quiet lately, I guess the feeling of being adopted and all is starting to really sink in." he said with seriousness in his voice.  
"Yeah, that sounds reasonable."  
"And I'm not sure...if it's because of her past or parents or something, but I have a feeling I should be more careful around her. I think I should spend more time with her. I feel bad that I'm not."   
Gosalyn sat more quiet than ever, listening hard. She yearned to spend time with him too.  
"...Let's get this done with. I don't want to disappear for more than a day, who knows what she'll do...what she's feeling like there in that house." He continued, gazing out the window into the blue ocean beneath. Launchpad just nodded in agreement.  
'He has no idea what I'm going through!' Gosalyn thought sadly.   
"I wish I could be there all the time, to tuck her in make sure she's alright through the night. But I can't." Darkwing said, looking down.  
"Oh DW, don't worry, you'll get to do that! She understands what you have to do." Launchpad said.  
"What if she doesn't understand what I'm doing! I'm ruining her, LP!" Darkwing said frightfully. Launchpad sighed.  
"You're not going to ruin her. Talk about it to her -   
"I can't even hold her in my arms, kiss her...I'm afraid to! It feels like my very touch would splinter her..." he said, holding his head in his hands. He couldn't believe what he just exposed to his sidekick. Launchpad didn't know what to say. "Aw Launchpad, why did you have to ask me this?"   
"Sorry...just wondering how she was doing." Launchpad said shyly. Darkwing didn't like discussing very emotional topics, and he only knew Launchpad for a few short weeks. It wasn't like Darkwing to reveal any emotion.  
"Ah, forget it." Darkwing finished. They sat in complete silence the rest of the ride to the island. Gosalyn's emotions stirred even more, like they were being tossed side to side, and she suddenly wished she wasn't there.   
'Why can't I just disintegrate,' she thought. She thought about the words that Darkwing just said. She did want to spend time with him as Drake, and Darkwing, and as more of a parent. But then she thought, 'it *would* be weird for the first time, being hugged and stuff...by someone else,' but she needed it, even though she didn't realize it. Being hugged and kissed were priceless things never offered to Gosalyn in years, beyond years, in child terms. She worried that she was a hindrance to Darkwing. 'I wonder if he'll ever want to do that stuff to me...' she thought, feeling weird emotions in her head. Gosalyn continued to wait under the seat, until the TQ would land.   
  
Finally, the TQ came to a hard landing, and after rolling for several meters it stopped. When the top lifted up, dust from outside entered the cockpit, leaving Darkwing and Launchpad to cough. They fanned the air in front of their faces with their hands to clear it away. The cloud of dirt also reached the back of the plane, where the back seat was.  
Gosalyn's face was clouded in the dust, and she tried to hold her breath, but couldn't. Her hand flew off her mouth as she gave out a great sneeze.   
"Bless you," said Launchpad.  
"What?" Darkwing looked at him strange. "I didn't sneeze."  
"Uh, you didn't?" Launchpad gave a strange look back. "Then who did?" They looked at each other suspiciously for a moment, then looked around themselves until they conclusively checked the back of the plane. Gosalyn's elbow was exposed.   
She could sense them staring at her, and she gave herself up, and crawled out from beneath.   
Darkwing looked in shock. "Gosalyn! What are you doing here?!" She looked at him scared.   
"I didn't want to stay home," she said, looking down.  
"Gosalyn, it's way too dangerous for you to be here!" he began to yell.  
"But Darkwing!" is all she could say.  
"I thought you were at home sleeping! Gosalyn..." Darkwing lost his words. Gosalyn didn't know what to say as well. "Well...there's no time to go back home." He turned to Launchpad, "We're gonna have to make this quick." Launchpad just nodded. He turned his head back to Gosalyn. "And you. Don't cause any trouble here!" he exclaimed, pointing his finger slightly.   
"I...I wont." She was afraid; He hasn't yelled at her like this before. "Well, I think we should be on our way." He said. "LP, go cover up the TQ, hide it."   
"Sure thing." He said. Darkwing and Gosalyn exit the TQ, and just stood by each other, it was awkwardly quiet.   
"Darkwing?" Gosalyn spoke.  
"Yeah?" he regretted yelling at her.  
"I'm...sorry...I just couldn't stay in that room the rest of the night, I had to...be with you..." she turned away. Darkwing regretted yelling at her even more. The gaze on his face softened.  
"Oh Gos, it's alright. I just don't want you getting hurt or caught up in my work is all. Promise me you wont cause any trouble...?" he asked in a forgiving tone.  
"I promise!"   
"Thanks Gos," he said, patting her on the back. She flinched a little when he touched her. Darkwing then remembered the things he had said in the plane, and realized she heard all the things he said about her. But he decided not to say anything about it.   
They were quiet for a few more minutes. The only sounds were beach's waves on the distant coast, and an occasional breeze passing through the trees. Launchpad could soon be spotted sprinting back to them from out of the forest clearing.   
"Hey DW, I got the TQ all covered up." He said, panting.  
"Great. Now we have to go set up camp, and we'll start soon after." They started to trail off in one direction. Launchpad kept track on the map they had received earlier. "Hopefully someone isn't watching us..." Darkwing said darkly.   
Gosalyn followed them behind. Her short legs couldn't keep up with their long strides, and it broke her heart when she saw that it was as if Darkwing forgot she was with them at all. She sprinted a little to catch up with them, and held on to Darkwing's hand. I looked down, a little surprised. She didn't even look up at him. He responded, and held back onto her tiny hand protectively. It made him slow down his walking pace. Gosalyn felt much better. She liked the feel of her small hand, cradled in his warm supporting one. It also made Darkwing feel good inside that she needed him to guide her, and feel safe. It was a first step.  
  
Soon, they stopped and set up camp in the best place they could come across. "Darkwing?" Gosalyn said.  
"Yeah?"  
"Are you going to leave me here alone?" she asked, scared.  
"Well...I guess not. I don't want to leave you here, neither of us knows this place." He said. She felt relieved.   
"Ok..." She responded. Darkwing felt he needed to talk to her, about what happened in the TQ, and about leaving her alone at home all the time before. But he didn't, deciding he would wait. It was getting dark out, and Darkwing would start the search in the morning. Launchpad, meanwhile, finished setting up two small tents.  
"Gos, I think we should go to bed. We're going to start in the morning, early." He said.   
"Oh, ok," she said, feeling tired. "Are you going to stay with me in the tent?" she asked worried.  
"Of course I am! What do you expect me to do, sleep with Launchpad?" they both made weird faces. "I'm staying with you, Gos."  
"Ok," she said content.   
Soon, the three of them went into their respective tents for the night. Darkwing stayed up, thinking, in his tent with Gosalyn fast asleep beside him. He noticed her movements in her sleep, which were constant. 'That can't be good,' he thought. He kept rearranging the blanket on her. The island certainly had cold nights. "Ah, Gos..." he said just above a whisper. He laid a hand on her shoulder, and massaged it unconsciously. She murmured and whimpered sporadically in her sleep. "Gosalyn, Gosalyn...what's wrong?" he asked openly, even though she couldn't hear him. He knew well what was wrong. He started talking to her sleeping form. "I'm so sorry Gos, I'm not used to this sorta stuff...I'm trying my best!" he said. He removed his hand, and laid down beside her. Before falling asleep, he whispered, "I do...love you."  
  
Darkwing woke up the following morning to sound of birds and insects chattering outside. He sat up and looked at Gosalyn, who was shivering, curled up against him. He wanted to wake her and talk to her about what he was going to do the day before, but again, decided not to. Her shivering worried him, and he wrapped a blanket around her that she kicked off during the night. She fluttered her eyes open, and like a newborn infant, gazed up at Darkwing with tired red eyes.   
"Hi Darkwing." She coughed.  
"Hey kiddo." He said quietly. "How are ya?"  
"Still tired..." she said. He believed her, by the way she was tossing all night, and such.   
"Yeah, I know it's hard to sleep in here..." he looked up at the tent. He knew really why she couldn't sleep thought, not the tent. "We'll get home soon, don't worry."  
'Then I'll just be alone there,' she thought.  
  
Darkwing came out of the tent, and saw Launchpad who had just started a small camp fire.   
"Hey, I guess this thing came in handy, huh?" he said holding up a fire lighter. Darkwing shrugged, thinking about Gosalyn. Then he thought again about the things she heard him say in the cockpit.   
'I'll talk about it to her later, not right now.' He thought. They some of the food they had brought along with them. Darkwing went to check on Gosalyn, still in the tent. He poked his head inside.  
"Hey Gos, ya hungry?" he asked.  
"Oh yeah," she said.   
"C'mon out, we got some food to eat. It'll last at least another day or so." She came out of the tent, and joined them to eat, but she didn't eat very much.  
"I thought you said you're hungry?" he said looking at her oddly.  
"I know, but it's uh...too early still." She said quickly.  
"Oh...well...ok." He retreated.   
  
Soon after, they were finished eating and getting ready to move on. "Ok now LP, we have to go find this thing! Keep an eye out for Negaduck, too." He added.  
"Right," he confirmed. They started to walk off. Darkwing stopped and turned around for Gosalyn, who was being hesitant, and a little depressed, about starting to walk forward along with them. She felt like disappearing.  
"C'mon Gosalyn, you're coming too. You're not going to stay here!" he said. He offered his hand, and walked to him. He took her hand before she had realized to take his own. "C'mon hon..."  
  
They walked for about four miles. Gosalyn was exhausted. Darkwing stopped.  
"LP, come over here!" he let go of her hand. "Gosalyn, don't go anywhere!" he ordered. She jus stood there. Darkwing showed Launchpad an area in the foliage that seemed different to him. "Look in there..." he whispered, pointing at the ground. Launchpad stared on in awe. They found the fountain of youth, tucked away in the earth. It's liquid was like nothing else on the planet, it seemed to glisten off of everything. It would have glowed itself in the pitch black of the night.   
"Well, I'll go get the stuff ready to destroy this thing." Launchpad began.  
"No! No, wait, I have to make sure..." he plucked out one of his own feathers, and let go of it over the water. It drifted down until it lightly touched the surface of the magnificent liquid. Within seconds, it shrunk to nothing. "My God...this is some dangerous stuff we're messing with, LP. No wonder Negaduck wants it."   
"Tell me about it." He said, his eyes never leaving the ripple of water where the feather lay just seconds ago. "Whoaa..." After staring at it for a moment, they returned to where they left Gosalyn standing.  
"Darkwing..." she said tiredly, "Can we stop walking now?" She sat on the ground.  
"Oh, yes, this is it Gossie." He assured. "We can rest here for now. Don't go over there, ok? You have to listen to me." She nodded, tired. He turned to Launchpad. "Let's go get the stuff ready to wreck this thing. I hate to do it, but it has to be done." He said seriously.  
"We'll get right to it." Launchpad said, and they started gathering the salt and things they needed to finish the job. Meanwhile, Gosalyn sat on the ground, waiting.  
'Why can't I help?' she thought. 'He thinks I'll ruin everything. It's not like I already ruined his own entire life...' she thought sadly. She would make up stories of how much Darkwing wants to get rid of her, but they were never true.   
  
  
"No LP! We don't dig for saltwater, we need to find a source!" Darkwing exclaimed bitterly. 'Why didn't we just bring out own?' he thought, and slapped himself on the forehead.  
"Oh!" Launchpad brightened up. "A source!"  
"Yes..." they continued to argue in the distance. Gosalyn can hear the muffled voices from afar. Her thoughts went into trouble.  
"Hmm...I wonder what's so important back there...it probably has to do with the case! If I find out, then I can solve this and we can get out of this boring place sooner." Gosalyn thought out loud. She stood up, and quietly sneaked over to the bushy area in the foliage.   
She stomped over tall grasses and plants with her small feet, and struggled to get to the 'special' area. Her hands wove through the plants blocking her sight, until she came to the tall wall of odd-looking plants she has never seen before. She parted away the plants so she can poke her head inside, like pushing clothes apart on a rack in a closet.   
"Whoa...keen gear!" she gazed at the beautiful, but unmerciful waters just feet below her face. It was so tempting to look at, and Gosalyn slowly reached her hand out, as if being lead to a new world. She wanted to touch the glistering liquid.   
"Wahh!" she let out as she stepped into some slippery mud. She shielded her face as she fell beneath, as if trying to float above the water. In the distance where Darkwing and Launchpad stood, the splash could barely be audible.  
  
From Darkwing's communicator, a voice came scrambling on. "Darkwing." It was J. Gander Hooter. "Darkwing, come in Darkwing..."  
"Gander!" cried Darkwing, and fidgeted in his coat pockets to grasp the commmunicator.  
"Darkwing here." he said affirmatively.  
"Darkwing, look closey at the map again, there is an area in the premises where you   
must dig for the salt water containers!" his voice scrambled.  
"Dig? Where?" Darkwing waited, still nothing but scrambling. "Hello?" Nothing.  
"Ah, phew! This stupid thing..." he muttered as he tucked it away. "LP, let me see that map." Launchpad handed him a well-wrinkled sheet of paper. Darkwing frowned at him for a second. "Lemme see here..." he snatched it out of his hand, and scrutinized it with his magnifying glass. "Ah ha! Here it is!" Darkwing said in triumph.   
"Where do we hafta go now?" Launchpad asked, scratching his head. Darkwing pointed in a general direction.  
"This way!" he proclaimed. As the walked in that direction, Darkwing stopped and called back, "Gosalyn, dear, we'll be right back!" and sprinted over to the site of excavation. "Let's just get this over with," he muttered. 'This shouldn't take too long, I hope.' He was not aware of the trouble his overly curious daughter had gotten herself into.   
  
About a half-hour later, Darkwing alongside Launchpad, came panting back to the fountain grounds, carrying jugs of salt water.  
"Finally...we're...back!" Launchpad gasped for air.  
"Yeesh, yeah. Now...Gosalyn!" Darkwing dropped the jugs of salt water leaving Launchpad to pick them up, and ran to where he last left her. "Gosalyn!" He called. 'Oh no, this is my entire fault!' he though. He began to sweat and lose his breath. "Oh Gos! Can you hear me?" he yelled again. Launchpad came up to where he was standing.  
"Where's Gos?"  
"I...I don't know." He said. His face lit up worryingly when he scrambled over to the fountain. He plowed through the tall weeds and bushes as if they weren't there, and separated the final curtain of plants with his hands. His eyes fell down, and he let out a gasp. Gosalyn's clothes were floating in the water. "No...No! She has to be around here! Unless..." Darkwing searched and grabbed a long stick that had fallen from a tree, and stuck it in the water to see how deep it was. It wasn't too deep, but still enough for a small child to drown in. Darkwing shuddered. He threw the stick on the ground. Launchpad's faint voice could be heard calling Gosalyn's name. Darkwing stood motionless, staring into the water. He could feel his own life splinter before himself.   
Darkwing turned a cheek when a rustling came from the dry bushes nearby. More sporadic noises and movements came. "Gosalyn? Is that you? I'm coming, honey!" He stepped around the beautiful, but deadly water as quickly as he can to reach where the sounds were coming from. He cleared the hanging plants out of his way, and expected to see Gosalyn there. Instead, a shorter naked version of Gosalyn stood scared, waiting. "Gosalyn! Oh my..." he looked closely at her, "What are you doing? Why are you...oh my God...." He covered his bill and fell to his knees as he gazed at her small body standing there before his eyes. He was speechless, and didn't know what to do. She must have lost nearly five years. Gosalyn was about to cry, looking at him as if he were to hit her.   
"Mmmm," she tried to keep from crying. "Watta!" she pointed.  
Darkwing looked at the water and then to her.   
"You...must have went in the water!" Darkwing exclaimed. "Oh Gos, honey, I'm so sorry I left you..." he reached his arms out and scooted towards her, touching her shoulders. It was as if he had to touch her to see if she was real. Gosalyn saw that he wasn't going to hit her at all, and her face cleared. "Gosalyn...ohh," his voice shook as he felt her face in his hands.  
"Who you?" she asked. Darkwing almost cried, but did his best to hold it in.   
"I'm...I'm," he searched for the words. How can he tell her, and summarize the past five years to a four-year-old? "D...Daddy." He blurted out, and said more slowly, "Daddy..." He looked into her face, thinking, waiting for a reaction. Her face lit up.  
"Daddy!" she threw her small body into his abdomen. "I miss you." She said happily. He put his own arms around her small back. He was more afraid of her than she was of him.  
"Yeah...Daddy..." he whispered. Darkwing whisked around when he Launchpad poked his head in, holding the jugs of saltwater.  
"Hey DW, I got the things here..." he held them up.  
"No, LP, wait!" Darkwing called out, waiving one arm in the air. Launchpad didn't even notice the small Gosalyn curled in front of him.  
"What?" he asked, and looked down. "Why are those there?" he gestured to the purple jersey and shoes floating on the banks of the water. Right then, Darkwing exposed Gosalyn. "What the...what's going on?" he asked shocked.  
"She...she wondered into the water when we were gone...I should have brought her back home!" he cursed himself. Launchpad didn't know what to say either. "Guess this water is the real thing, huh." Launchpad stared at Gosalyn, and she stared back.   
"Mmm?" she pointed at Launchpad. Darkwing just looked at her, and looked back at Launchpad.   
"Well, we can't destroy this yet!" Darkwing said, standing up. Gosalyn flailed her short arms up for him to pick her up, and he did. She was surprisingly light. It felt weird to pick her up. 'This is what would be like five years ago...' he thought. It was still terrifying to look at Gosalyn like the way she was, and Darkwing wondered how it would be like if things started out that way. "We need this water, there must be a reverse for this! We can't leave Gosalyn this way. We could get in big trouble!" he said in a scared tone, looking at her small face. She looked like a little angel, cradled in his arms.   
"You're right, DW." Launchpad said, never taking his eyes off Gosalyn. He turned to put the jugs of saltwater away.   
"One more thing..." Darkwing said. Launchpad faced him again. "We have to tell Gander it's destroyed. Don't let him know about Gosalyn, or he'll have our tail feathers."  
"Whoa, of course!" He said, and went away. Darkwing began to follow him.   
"Cold." Her high voice cried and shivered.  
"Cold...cold?" Darkwing said. Well after all, she wasn't wearing anything. She nodded. "Here..." Darkwing removed his cape with one hand, and wrapped in around her body. It wrapped around more than twice. She smiled. "That better?" He gave her a gentle squeeze and she nodded again. Darkwing became attached to holding her when she was so small, she felt like a fragile doll in his arms, holding on not wanting to be dropped. But he would never drop her. "I'm so sorry, Gosalyn..." he whispered. She had no idea what he was feeling sorry about. He lightly held the side of his face against hers, and hugged her. It was warming.  
  
When he met Launchpad at the Thunder Quack, they had to be quickly incisive about what to do next.  
"Ok Launchpad, we're going to need to get this done quick now...we need to transport all the water back. There's not much, so I think we can do it." He said confidently.   
"We got some tubing in the TQ, and a seal-tight carrier in the hood." Launchpad said.  
"Good." Darkwing walked over to the TQ with Gosalyn still in the haven of his arms, and placed her in the back of the plane. "Gosalyn?"  
"Ya!"   
"Can you do...Daddy...a favor?" he asked nervously.  
"Ya!"  
"Stay in here, and please don't touch anything." He said. She looked around the interior of the plane.  
"Ok, Daddy." She piped. Darkwing brushed a hand over the top of her head.   
"Ok Gossie." He closed the top of the Thunder Quack. He walked slowly away towards Launchpad, looking back at the plane. Gosalyn looked out the window at him.   
When he reached Launchpad, he said, "Let's get to work, fast."  
  
After a long time of shuffling and tiring work, they did it. "Why did you make this seal-tight thing anyway?" Darkwing asked.  
"Well, hehe, there was extra space in this thing," he lay a large hand on the hood, "Just built it in just in case." He said.  
"Good thing!" Darkwing said. "Whew...ok, we're getting out of this place, now, back to St. Canard."  
When they went inside the Thunder Quack, Gosalyn was sound-asleep in a corner of the back seat. Looking like an innocent baby, she had her thumb in her bill, murmuring once so often as her four-year-old mind dreamt about who knows. Darkwing looked at her and smiled wearily. "Don't worry Gos, we'll get this straightened out." He whispered as he carefully buckled a seatbelt around her. He sat in the back with his one arm protectively covering her body, since the seatbelt was too big.   
  
That night, they went to the house immediately after stopping by the tower. It would be too dangerous for Gosalyn.  
Drake lay awake in his bed. He was having a difficult time falling asleep. He lay Gosalyn next to him in bed, since he was being too careful with her, and didn't want to leave her by herself. She barely took up any space in the bed. He kept whispering, "I'm so sorry Gos, this shouldn't have happened." He couldn't sleep, and instead stayed up half the night listening to Gosalyn's short breaths, thinking about what he was going to do. 'I can't believe this happened. But it is nice having her this way for a little while.' He thought, lying on his side with his head resting on his palm, looking at her.   
He took her hand in his, and shifted it around between his fingers. He could have held her entire arm in one hand. The surface was so soft and fragile to the touch. 'Look at those fingers, they're so small!' he thought. It surprised him, since he wasn't used to very young children. Even when she was nine years old, her hand was already much smaller than his own. 'I guess this is how it would have been years ago...' he thought. "Goodnight, kiddo," he nuzzled his bill gently on her forehead, and fell asleep.  
  
  
"Launchpad! I just thought of something." Drake said breaking from his weariness the next morning.  
"What is it?"  
"Do four-year-olds use diapers?" He asked. Launchpad's brain came to freeze-frame.   
"Uh...well I don't really know any other four-year-olds. I don't know!" he said.   
"Hmm..." he thought. "Say, can you run and get a pack, just in case?"  
"What! Oh no DW, wait now I'm not gonna go get those!" Launchpad said fearfully.  
"It's DRAKE." He stammered.  
"Oh sorry." He said. "But...I'm not gonna!" he continued, "That's one thing I'm not gonna do!" Launchpad was being annoyingly stubborn, wearing down Drake's patience.  
"Ok, fine..." Drake gritted his teeth and snatched the car keys off the coffee table. "I'll go get them then! Jeez." He said. "Keep a good eye on Gosalyn then, would'ya?"  
"Sure thing, DW!"   
"That's DRAKE," he sighed angrily.  
"Oops."  
  
Drake went to a nearby drugstore. He couldn't believe what he was doing, buying diapers for his daughter. "Gosalyn should be playing hockey or something, not wearing diapers!" Drake yelled in the car. He remembered about looking for a reverse 'cure' for her condition. 'Maybe Morgana could help out,' he pondered.   
Drake walked into the drugstore, looking around suspiciously for anyone who might know Drake Mallard. The drugstore was unusually busy. "Great, just great," he muttered. "Well, let's get this over with." He searched the isles for the product, looking at the signs. "...Bathroom, Baby Supplies..." he read, and entered the isle, tugging at his collar nervously. He stopped in front of the hoard of diapers. "What the...now what?" he looked at all the covers, reading each brand.   
"Ah ha!" he grabbed one off the shelf, at the same time looking out for anyone who might know him. " 'For girls'," And walked quickly to the cash register with the shortest line. He placed the diapers on the moving belt and waited impatiently.   
"Oh boy, why it ain't our neighbor! Binkie, C'mere!" Drake heard a devastating voice behind him, and turned his head slowly around. He moved his body to try and cover the product he was buying.  
"Oh uh, hi Herb," he said impatiently through his teeth.  
"Hehe, what a coincidence to see you here, pardner!" he exclaimed. Binkie came from behind. "We're just picking up Honker's eyeglasses."   
'Like I care! Go away!' Drake thought. "Really."  
"How's Gosalyn doing, Drake?" Binkie asked. "I hope the little tyke is doing good in the new house and everything. She can come over any time!"  
"She is FINE, Bink-ie," he said, still trying to block their view from the diapers. Suddenly, the belt jerked forward, and Herb and Binkie looked at his purchase.  
"Diapers there, Drakey?" Herb said, eyeing the diapers. Drake turned immediately and looked at them, just sitting there.  
"Ah, uh, those aren't mine! No, how did that get there!" he picked up a magazine from the rack, pretend to flip through it and tossed it on top. "I'm just getting...a...magazine..." He was unaware that he grabbed the latest issue of 'Woman's World'. Binkie gave him a strange look. The cashier scanned the magazine, and the diapers, and bagged them. Drake hastily threw his money out, exact change, to the cashier and grabbed the bag.  
"Drake, I thought you said those aren't yours!" Binkie said, pointing.  
"What? Can't hear you, gotta go, bye!" he said quickly, starting to sprint away out the door and into the parking lot.  
When he reached the car, he got in and slammed the door. "Those Muddlefoots, agh! Just the wrong place, at the wrong time." He muttered as he pulled out and drove away.  
  
  
"Hey, I'm back!" he called, lifting one arm up holding the grocery bag. His eyes fell down to the couch, where Gosalyn was sleeping. "...Wow, you sure do sleep a lot, don't you?" he said in a quieter voice as he walked towards her, lowering his arm. He gingerly tossed the plastic bag at the end of the couch and sat in between it and his daughter. "What are we going to do...What am I going to do?" he said to himself, watching the breathing child.  
"Hey, you're back already." Launchpad came entered from the stairs, "so uh, did you get 'em?" he asked.  
Drake looked at him oddly, lost in thought. "-Oh, yeah, right here." He patted the bag next to him. "Do you think she needs them? I don't know who we should ask."  
Launchpad looked around the room, as if looking for the answer in the ceiling. "Ask Gosalyn." He suggested. Drake crumpled his face slightly and turned his eyes down again, thinking if that would work.  
"Hmm...well when she's awake we'll give it a try." Drake took his advice. The short conversation ended there. Drake waited next to Gosalyn for her to soon wake up.  
  
It was no time before her eyes slowly blinked open, and she rolled around and looked at Drake. She yawned, her little voice squeaking in a breath as she exhaled, and it touched him for a whim. "Hi." She said.  
"Hey, honey."  
"Anything to eat? I'm hungry." She said.  
"Um, yeah," he said, just thinking about the subject of food. "Can I ask you something, Gosalyn?"  
"OK."  
"Well...do you wear..."  
"Wear what?"  
"Do you wear...diapers?" he asked nervously.  
"Diapers! No! No more diapers!" she said.  
"Ok, Ok," he said, relieved. 'I should have asked her before going to that store!' he thought regretfully.   
"The potty, I use. No more diapers, Daddy!" she whined.  
"Ok, Ok," he said, tugging at his collar a little, remembering she was hungry. "Um...let's go get some food, ok!" he said, standing up.  
"Yay!" she said, hopping off the couch, following him into the kitchen.  
"What do you want to eat?" he knelt down asking her. Drake had no idea what she would want.   
"Ummm..." she said with her finger on her chin. Drake waited patiently, staring amazingly into her face. "McDonalds!" she said happily.  
"Mc...McDonalds?" Drake said surprised.  
"Yeah!" she cheered.  
"Ok then, if that's what you want..." he stood up and took her small hand, leading her to the car.   
After she was all buckled up, they drove away to the big, yellow "M" place.   
  
Drake was not used to being in public so long. "I'll take a um...what you call 'em?" he squinted at the menu. The teenager at the cash register waited impatiently. "Ah, Happy Meal, and a um...uh..." he squinted some more, "Big Mac." He said finally, ready to pull the cash out of his wallet. 'Jeez, I hope nobody sees us here,' he hoped.   
The teenager punched some buttons, and lifelessly said, "Three sixty seven."   
"Here..." he gave exact change.   
"Is that for here or to go?"  
"For he-to go." He said. Gosalyn tugged his shirt.  
"No for here! Here!" she pleaded. He looked down at her, and gave in.  
"For here." He said finally.   
"Ok, please wait for your order." The teenager handed him a slip with a number on it, and they went to a table in the back.   
  
They both sat quietly at the tables outside, waiting for their food to arrive. Gosalyn sipped her small soda. Her legs weren't even long enough to dangle off the plastic bench seat, instead they stuck straight out. Drake didn't know what to say. He just sat there observing her drinking her soda.  
"I'm going to go play there!" she pointed to the ball pit nearby.   
"Ok, go ahead." He said. He watched her go over there and play in the shallow pit of balls.  
'This is a miracle,' he thought, watching her laugh and toss colored plastic balls around in the air. 'This is suppose to be impossible, by all means!' he almost slammed his fists on the table, but just rest his head in his hands. He hoped they would be able to make everything back to normal. There were some things he enjoyed about having a little Gosalyn. He loved her tiny size, and her purity. She displayed her need for dependence on Drake, rather than trying to hide it, like she did when she was nine. But what he didn't enjoy very much about her age, was that he couldn't tell her things she would understand. Communication was harder for them. He missed talking to a much more understanding level of Gosalyn. Drake then remembered about what he said in the cockpit of the plane when Gosalyn was hiding under the seat. Oh, how he wanted to talk to her about that so much! But he couldn't, and she wouldn't even understand. Drake planned on talking to her about what he was talking about in the cockpit earlier, but he never expected this would happen. Drake became full of regret, regret for not canceling the SHUSH mission given to him when he found Gosalyn in the plane, regret for leaving her alone. He wanted to tell her how much he loves her, and wants her to know it, really know it well. But at this age, it was difficult. 'I shouldn't have taken things too slow with her in the beginning!' he said guiltily.   
Then, a different teenager came up to the table and set down the tray of fast food, interrupting Drake from his thoughts.   
"Jeez, don't any adults work at this place?" he muttered as the teenager skulked away. "Gosalyn! C'mon and eat. I thought you said you're hungry?" he called to her. She poked her head up through the ball pit; he could see her face through the safety net. He motioned with his hand to come over, and she got out.  
She hopped up on the bench and grabbed the bag, reaching inside for the toy. When she ripped the plastic open, she dropped the toy and played with the plastic.   
"Oh no, Goslayn, that's not for playing!" he gently took the plastic from her hands and picked up the toy and gave it to her, but she just put it aside.  
"Here, eat." He then said, as he unwrapped the hamburger for her. She picked it up and bit into it, and ate most of her food. Drake finished eating first, and just waited for her.  
"I'm full." She said.  
"Yeah? Ok." Drake said. Now he had an idea of how a child like her would eat. "Want to go home?" he asked her. He tended to talk to her slowly, as if he were talking to a small baby. She nodded and Drake slid out of his seat, and picked her up out of hers when she was having trouble getting out.   
  
Drake stared forward in the car ride home as he drove home. 'This is amazing,' he thought, shaking his head.   
When they came through the door at the house, Launchpad was waiting on the couch.  
"Hey!" said Launchpad.  
"Hey, we just ate." Drake said.  
"I'm full!" Gosalyn moaned. Drake looked at her and grinned.   
"I have an idea. What if this water-youth-thing just wears off, you know?" He said hopefully.  
"Huh?" Drake gave him a funny look. "That's ridiculous, LP! How can this just..." he looked in the air as if searching for an answer, and then said "...go away?" lifting his arms in the air and hopelessly letting them fall to his sides.  
"I just-  
"I doubt it." He interrupted. Gosalyn stood short, looking up between the two adults, wondering what they talking about. She had no idea what Drake, even Darkwing, was going through about herself.   
"Me what?" she asked as if she did something wrong.  
"Aw honey, don't worry." He knelt down and held her shoulders. He could have wrapped one single hand all the way around her shoulders.   
"OK." She said. Drake looked up at Launchpad, and gave him a worried, scared look. All he could do is shrug.  
  
  
Later that night...  
"Doddy?" she mispronounced tiredly through the door. His muscles tensed up for a split second upon hearing her call for him. Drake's footsteps could then be heard rushing to the door.   
The door swung open. "What's wrong?" he asked immediately.  
"Can't sleep there by myself!" she explained softly. What Drake appreciated about her age were the quick, honest responses. He thought she could have slept in her room, by herself-or not. "I wan stay with you..."   
"Of course, come on..." he led her in, and put her on his bed. He wasn't even sleeping before she came to his door, he couldn't sleep. "Ok, C'mon Gos, let's go to sleep." He said in a higher, gentle tone. He got under the sheets next to her.  
Even though her usual purple top was nearly three times larger her size, he put it on her earlier to sleep in. 'Well, it's best to keep an eye on her,' he thought. He was being extremely critical with her frame, every touch of his hand, and every kiss with his lips to the baby Gosalyn. To him, she would always be his baby.  
They both lay quietly under the covers for several moments. Gosalyn snug on her side with her hands clasped together under her chin. Drake silently waited for her to fall peacefully asleep. After she fell asleep into steady rhythms of breath, she shivered violently all of a sudden, once, then a couple more times. Drake opened his eyes and tried to focus on her through the dark. He lay a hand on her, and whispered, "Gos? Are you cold?" He paused for her to answer.  
"N-n-no." she stuttered, and shivered some more.  
"Then what, why are you shaking?" he asked more concerned.  
"Nothing." She said, sniffing hard, trying to go back to sleep. Drake paused some more. She scooted over so that she was closer to his body.  
"Are you sure..."  
"Hmm-Mm." She nodded, and took another great sniff, as if she had a cold. Drake didn't carry on any further. She surprised him again, "...it's a bad dream." She whispered.  
"Uh-a dream?" he whispered back.  
"Hmm-Mm."  
"A dream about what?" he urged, and she sniffed more.  
"A...monster." She blurted, and her small body shivered more. She pulled her head further beneath the blankets.  
"Oh Gos..." he assured softly, "There aren't any monsters. You're with me honey, I won't let anything bad happen to you...don't worry." He covered the side of her head with the spread of his hand, and played with her soft hair gently with his fingertips. She felt so warm and secure, as if shielded by it from all lurking creatures that meant to do harm and hurt. She wrapped a small arm around his wrist, and the shivering slowly completely stopped. In Drake's mind, he questioned himself whether that "monster" was really just some 'Boogie-Man', or something deeper that was hitting her right in the spot. He knew there was more to it, and had known from her numerous nightmares she received during the first few nights with Drake and Launchpad in the new house.  
After he sensed that she had fallen asleep, he kissed her forehead, and fell asleep shortly himself.  
  
  
Drake's face glowed against the new day's light the next morning, seeping through the window. He woke up as the light warmed his face. As his senses awakened him, he instantly thought of Gosalyn.   
Beside him, she lay completely under the covers, hiding; supposedly. He couldn't wait for her to wake up, so he could look into her young, cherishing face. He carefully moved the blankets down to see her face. As her forehead and bill down were slowly revealed, Drake's own face suddenly fell into a complete impact, just as full of disbelief as when he first found her near the fountain water. He gasped uncontrollably. She looked the way she did just a couple of days ago, sleeping peacefully at his side. She breathed in and out as quiet as a baby.  
"G...Gosalyn?" his mouth blurted unconsciously. He gently placed a hand on her face, moving strands of red hair from her face. "Gos..." He rubbed her shoulder, trying to wake her up. "Huh-how could this happen...again!" Drake shouted in a whisper, "But reverse, overnight!" An explanation was needed for Drake for this to happen, but he returned his strength back to her. "C'mon Gosalyn, wake up, please..." he cajoled.  
She sniffed in her sleep and coughed weakly, slowling blinking her eyes open, and stared up at Drake. Her luminescent green eyes mesmerized him, and he searched them for any signs of the old Gosalyn. However, an unspeakable fear stuck a hard note on him along with her deathly gaze at him. 'Does she remember anything?' he worried. 'Will she remember me?'  
"Gosalyn..." he uttered again.   
"Hmm...mm..mmm..." she cooed haggardly and wearily. Drake watched her breathlessly, the way zealous sport fans do at the last moments of an intense game. "....Darkwing." Her voice sounded dry and exhausted, but it made him smile. But he knew she wouldn't be like the four-year-old Gosalyn like before, who was comfortable with everyone holding her and giving her affection, and who never concealed feelings. "...Darkwing..." Drake's whole attitude changed for her sake, back to an overly cautious, beginning parent. "Darkwing...?"  
"Yes, I'm here Gos..."  
"Darkwing..." she spoke softly, "what happened? Did I...pass out back there? Why am I in here?" she quiestioned, looking around the bed for the answer. Drake didn't even know where to begin.   
"Well..." he began, "are you sure you want me to talk to you about it? I think you're too tired to pay attention right now."  
"No, no, I'm awake." She sat up in the bed, and they both waited. "Now, what happened?" she asked innocently, her voice still cracking.  
"Um...well...do you remember...I think you must have been in the tower...when I found out about the case, right?" he was careful choosing his words to explain her black-out. She paused to think.  
"...yeah...I think..."  
"The um, water, fountain of youth, and Negaduck..." he reminded.  
"Yeah...! Actually, I do now..." she said, looking down, making faces at herself as she concentrated.   
"Well, I shouldn't have left you alone, Gos, I should have known!" he was unaware of him scolding himself. "When Launchpad and I got back to where you were, we couldn't find you, and..."  
"Oh..." she said, listening to him speak as if he were about to punish her.  
"...I thought it would be impossible! But I still checked the water...area, and, and...There you were..." he was silent, lost for words, as if experiencing it all over again. Gosalyn just waited for him to go on. "I saw you there, and I couldn't believe it..."  
"I remember the water, that's the last thing...!" she added. "I forgot all about the 'fountain of youth' stuff, I don't know, it just..." she looked down, scared, "pulled me in, I forgot about everything!" She listened for him to say the inevitable.  
"I found you and you were...to me, nearly a baby. Actually, you were about four." They both looked at each other, awestruck. "...I can't believe this! It was only hours ago!" He thought about everything more, and it hit him again and some more. "Gosalyn, what have I done! You could have...Drown!" he gasped at his own words. Gosalyn didn't know what to express. She felt extremely guilty. "I let you down, I already let you down, Gos...I'm sorry." He said.  
"I'm sorry too." She whispered, looking down.  
"Oh Gos, it's my fault..." he felt like holding her right there, but he was afraid to.   
After several guilt-oppressing silences, Gosalyn spoke, "Darkwing...I put you through so much trouble..."  
"Oh Gosalyn! No you don't, that's not true..."  
"It is! I know I do..." her voice sounded different, like a younger Gosalyn. She became distraught, and secretly worried that he would return her to the orphanage.  
"Gosalyn, you're not causing me trouble, staying with me. Trust me, you're not..."  
"No! I am!" her voice started to jitter, "I am..." she broke down into his ready hold, welcoming to take her as he has been for a long time.  
"Gos..." he squeezed her gently, trying to calm her down. "You aren't putting me through any trouble..." he assured. He could feel her body's occasional spasms from her crying she was trying to keep under wraps. A wondrous emotional release profuse through him, being glad to hold Gosalyn, glad to see that she is revealing her feelings to him rather than containing them. A joyous whim spread through him to witness her gain steps in comfort to be with him. Extraterrestrial, but happy comforts swallowed Gosalyn as Drake held her so harmonious and understanding in his fatherly arms. Drake reveled in the feel of his child seeking refuge in his arms, sensing how she needed his presence. But then, he thought about something, and decided whether he should say anything...  
"Gosalyn, remember when you were hiding under the seat before we landed...?" he asked softly.  
"...yeah," was her muffled reply.   
"I remember, I wanted to talk to you about that..." he said, still cradling her. He braced the back of her neck with his hand, and noticed she was sweating excessively.   
"Ohh..." she murmured. Drake became nervous. He leaned her back to make eye contact, but she continued to look off to the side.  
"Well, uh...I just want to make sure you're relaxed here, comfortable here. I mean, I know it's new for you...But you know what I mean. Are you okay, with me and all, with the whole parent-kid thing?" he looked at her. "I'm still getting used to this new lifestyle too..." he smiled a little, nudging her with his eyes.   
"...I don't know." She shrugged, trying to hide again. Drake didn't say anything, hoping she would continue. "It's been a long time since..." she searched for the words, "I've had like, parents, who....were there for me....it's weird, Darkwing."  
"I understand." Drake knew she probably didn't hear everything he said in the plane, she was in a frantic state of mind as they talked. They both sat there quietly again, Drake was being cautious not to overstep again.  
"Darkwing?"   
"Yeah?"  
"Are you sure, I'm not just a drag on you..." she finished in a sad tone. Drake could tell she was still pushing herself into anxiety. He sensed that she really needed him. She had nothing to worry about, especially as far as being banished from Drake, or Darkwing's care.  
"I'm very sure, Gosalyn. You have nothing to worry about!" He assured her with a warm hug, in which she returned. He smiled, and at that moment she truly believed his words. "...I love you, kiddo." He said more softly, and kissed the top of her head several times. She smiled in acceptance, and relief.  
"...Me too, Darkwing." She returned, making him feel less nervous, and happier.   
"Hey, C'mon, let's go eat..." he ended after several minutes. They hopped off his bed, and went to the kitchen.  
"Darkwing?"  
"Yeah?"  
"What was I like when I was little?" she asked.  
"Heh, Gos, you're still little!" he chuckled.  
"Aw, no I'm not!" she retorted. "Well what was I like?"  
Drake paused to think. "You seemed a lot more quieter than you are now."  
"Really?"   
"Yeah! But I was missing the original you, because I could talk to you and you'd   
understand more."   
"Oh..." she thought out. "I'm glad I'm back too," she said as he sat at the kitchen table with cereal.  
"Me too, Gos." She stood up suddenly and hugged him ferociously, surprising him. He returned it graciously. "I won't lose you again..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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